32_GitHub, Parse

While big players like Apple and Samsung may fight over software patents, many of the fastest-moving companies are in a more collaborative mood. They realize that developers begin with similar software—so when those building blocks are distributed widely, everyone benefits. The companies Parse and GitHub have become crucial middlemen, although both take different approaches.

Github
It's a collaborative platform: Like a coder's wiki, it allows programmers to co-develop and share code.Parse
It's a provider: It builds and sells back-end functions for mobile apps, such as login or server storage.

Github
Web interface lets developers copy others' code, make changes, then send a request to merge changes. Users who buy a subscription can make their code private. Parse
Developers pay a tiered subscription ranging from free to $5,000 monthly, for Parse to develop and manage elements of an app.

Github
"We've changed the way software is developed by lowering the barrier to entry," says co-founder and CEO
Tom Preston-Werner.Parse
"Mobile development is a mess," says cofounder and CEO Ilya Sukhar. Too much time is wasted developing functions that others have already made.

Github
Custom services for corporations, to let businesses collaborate on code internally. Parse
Cloud Code, which allows users to build and power their apps on Parse's infrastructure rather than use independent servers.

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